Here's to Life ((37))

[qualapec]

Brachen ordered a coffee from the cafe, watching the comings and goings of the police station as he read the paper. He smiled sharply and took a bite out of the cookie resting near his right hand.

[victoriousscarf]

Mac usually didn't have much reason to be off Main Street--he avoided the police station and the court house as much as possible after all--but he was still twitchy since he'd gotten around to reading the paper last night. About two hours of sleep the whole night later, he was striding around the city, trying to settle.

He'd just picked up the damn paper to read that interview with his chef after all. He hadn't actually been expecting that headline and how had he not been expecting that headline?

Almost growling under his breath he froze when he caught sight of--Brachen? Really growling now he threw open the cafe door and stalked in, stomping over to where the other was sitting and leaning his paws hard on the table he was sitting at. "What the hell?" he growled.

[qualapec]

Brachen stopped, tried to stutter out a lie at having been called out, but he refrained. "Keep your voice down, unless you want to declare my handiwork for the world."

[victoriousscarf]

"I'm not declarin' anythin'," he said, voice lower into a growl. "Though I thought you were damn here ta retire?"

[qualapec]

"I am. I didn't get paid for this one." He sighed. "It just happened, yeah?"

[victoriousscarf]

"It just happened?" Mac repeated, disbelieving. "How the hell does somethin' like that just happen?" he demanded, sliding into the chair across from the older cat. Not like he was really one to talk, he realized, one ear flickering back. After all, he'd left his own body down at the docks barely a month ago.

[qualapec]

"Something he said, Mac," Brachen replied. "Something about hell and bibles and...It just...I snapped."

[victoriousscarf]

For a long moment Macavity just stared at him, shoulders still tense with anger before sighing and relaxing slightly. "Hell, Brachen..." he let out another breath, not fully registering the fact he'd used what for him was a normal enough curse but might not have been the best one then. "He was just doin' his job as a priest."

[qualapec]

"I know, Mac," he hissed back. "I woke up the next day and I couldn't believe what I'd done."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac took another breath, leaning back in the chair, but still tense and his fur along his tail still on edge. "Then why the hell...?" he shook his head. "Brachen, you have ta be more careful."

[qualapec]

"Yeah," Brachen admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I've gotten sloppy. I panicked and didn't have time to clean up..." The truth was, he hadn't done much thinking at all after the priest spoke to him, it had been a completely personal, cold blooded murder. "I...the fact I didn't even think is scaring me."

[victoriousscarf]

For a long moment Mac just watched the other before nodding again. "Oh, Brachen..." he paused for a moment, mouth twisting. "What did you do afterwards then?"

[qualapec]

"Back to my apartment. Huddled in my bathtub for an hour while I waited to clam down." He didn't mention that he'd kept the ruined shirt as a souvenir.

[victoriousscarf]

Taking a breath Mac nodded. "Not that I'm sayin' this should happen about, because hell knows Brachen you need ta be more careful but... if you ever need me, I tend not ta be hard ta find." And probably one of the only cats that would have any idea what Brachen was going through.

[qualapec]

Brachen paused. He'd never had any doubt that he could rely on Mac for anything but...that was just the problem. If this happened again (and he couldn't say it wouldn't) then that's just what would happen - Mac would help him. But Mac had built up so much, dragged himself from the gutter. Brachen couldn't drag him back down again. "You know I'll come to you if I need help."